Page 6 of The Hot Mess

“Yeah, thanks,” I groaned, rolling my eyes.

Camille, and all of my siblings for that matter, were always too protective of me. But nothing could ruin the elation I felt from how the meeting went. And I was convinced most of it had nothing to do with seeing Jack again.

Sure, I had a crush on him since high school. But who didn’t? He was tall, handsome, charming, smart, clever…but also completely unobtainable. Especially to someone like me. He went for women who were more his equals…impossibly good looking and respected and admired in whatever their field was, even if their career consisted of silly modeling gigs. Whoever made him look even better—that was who you’d see him with on a Friday night.

At least I knew that equaled out to my idea being chosen for nothing more than its merits, and I was the right woman to see it through. There was no reason to worry Jack might have other motives with me, because we existed in two completely different realms. Two different dating pools entirely.

My mind was already racing with ideas as I returned to my office. I was ready to dive straight into the project and prove to everyone that I could handle things like this. I wanted to accomplish something big for our company…and something big for me. I was determined to make this new venture the catalyst I needed so badly.

3

Jack

“You were great in there,” Lucas gushed. “It’s almost like you’re where you’re meant to be.”

“Hey man, don’t mistake my greatness to mean I’m destined for Heartstring. I know I’m good at what I do, and I can do it at any company.”

“I appreciate your modesty,” he quipped. “I’m just saying…it was nice having you around today and seeing you in action. I didn’t know if maybe it persuaded you on your decision.”

“There’s plenty of time for that,” I assured him, desperate to avoid feeling cornered into deciding anything right away. Thankfully, my phone rang, giving me an out.

“I’ve got to take this. I’ll touch base with you this afternoon, man.”

He nodded and excused himself from my office, leaving me to take the call in privacy. And it was a good thing he did. A start-up in Tokyo was requesting my services for a quick consult the following week. It had been a year or two since I last had a chance to visit Tokyo, and I was dying to go back. The food and culture were just a few of the many perks that went along with the free trip and generous pay.

“I can spare a few days,” I responded, scribbling some notes down in front of me. I had promised Lucas to throw myself into Heartstring full force while I made up my mind. Getting away for an international trip would be tricky, but I couldn’t turn it down.

I was feeling uneasy in my deliberations over Lucas’s offer. There would be more traveling opportunities coming my way in the next few months. And with Lucas being one of my oldest, dearest friends, I didn’t want to seem ungrateful to him. But I also couldn’t make up my mind without fully considering the best of both worlds and which one I might want. Surely I could manage to get by doing some traveling and quick consulting jobs without anyone knowing.

I checked my calendar and worked the revised plan in with code words to avoid my temporary secretary letting anything slip to Lucas. Then it was back to work. In addition to breathing some fresh life back into the company, I had to catch up on all the numbers and offer any suggestions for improvement I came across. I was good at what I did, and I really could do it anywhere.

In the midst of my workflow, my phone rang again. I wished I could say the next caller was less stressful than the last, but hearing from my sister was every bit as complicated as conflicting job offers.

“Izzy!” I answered, trying to mask the tension between us. “How’s my favorite little sister?”

“I’m youronlylittle sister,” she sighed. “And even that isn’t enough to persuade you into catching up with me while you’re back in town.”

“I was going to call you. Later tonight.”

“Mmm-hmm. How convenient. I heard you’ve made time to start poking around in Heartstring’s affairs though.”

“Jealous?” I teased. “What are you doing right now? We can grab lunch.”

“I’m poolside at the Portico Country Club. I’ll put in an order for us and reserve a spot on the veranda.”

“Ugh, not that stuffy old snob fest. Why don’t you meet me out in the real world? Surely you know of some trendy brunch spot that opened up while I was gone. Isn’t that kind of thing one of your cornerstones of existence?”

“Of course I know of places,” she sighed. “But I’m sunning and I’m tired. I can’t possibly get dressed and get in a car across town right now.”

“Of course. How silly of me,” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll be there within the hour.”

I foundher on the veranda in her silk bathing-suit cover, big hat, and sunglasses shielding most of her face. Her red lips sipped from a cocktail straw tucked in next to a little umbrella speared through the alcohol-soaked fruit in her glass.

Izzy looked just like I remembered her—the rich, graceful sort of look she inherited from my mother that she had been embodying flawlessly since she was twelve. Izzy could be very stoic and reserved, which intimidated people. Especially in combination with her good looks and expensive tastes.

“How wonderful to see you again, big brother,” she announced, not bothering to get up.

“Good to see you too.”

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